Electric time-switch.



G. J. LINDEWALD.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 29, 1910.

1,010,277, Patented Nov. 28,1911.

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C. J. LINDEWALD.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

A'PPLIGATION FILED AUG. 29, 1910.

1,010,277. I v Patented N0v.28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lhil INVENTOI? WITNESSES:

627/25 .1 Zmzmp By M . ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL J. LINDEWALD, 0F LAPORTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL TIME SWITCH COMPANY, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ELECTRIC TIME-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Application filed August 29, 1910. Serial No. 579,423.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL J. LINDEWALD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Laporte, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Time- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric time switches, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device, which is controlled by clock-work,

and which may be set to close a circuit at any predetermined time, and to open the same subsequently at any predetermined time.

A further object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple device in the nature of an improvement to an ordinary clock for accomplishing the closing and opening of the switch.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus consisting of two contact devices which are so connected with the works of a clock that the one may close an electric circuit for starting the clock-work into action for causing the closure of the main switch, while the other closes an electric circuit for starting the clock-work to open the main switch.

A further object of my invention lies in the additions which are necessary to an ordinary clock for the purpose of operating the switch at predetermined times.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a face view of my improved time switch, Fig. 2 is a section through the clock casing, showing the main switch, the means for operating the main switch, and the battery, Fig. 8 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 1 is a View of the driving wheel for actuating the main switch, Fig. 5 is a rear perspective View of one of the contact wheels, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the front side of the other contact wheel.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of an ordinary clock, such as the Gresham clock. This clock is an eight-day, pendulum clock with strike.

My invention lies in the changes in the striking part and in additions to the timing mechanism.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2, 1 denotes the front plate, while the rear plate is shown at 2 in Fig. 3. Between the front and rear plates is the clock mechanism proper. I shall mention only those parts that are essential to the explanation of my im rovement thereon. Ordinarily the wheel 3 see Fig. 2) which regulates the number of strokes is provided with a series of radial slots, one for numeral 1, two for numeral 2 and three for numeral 3, etc. I replace this wheel by a wheel 3 having only one slot. This permits the vibrating arm A to engage the wheel 3 to stop the latter only once during a revolution.

The means for releasing this arm is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of a magnet M, which is mounted on a bracket 5 secured to the plate 1. The magnet is provided with a spring armature we having a link 6, whose lower end is looped around the arm 4, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. A spring 7 keeps the armature and link 6 normally in a lower position.

To the front part of the plate 1, I secure an arbor 8 and avsimilar arbor 9 in line with it. Both of these arbors are fastened to the movementplate 1 by means of ordinary clutch springs, (not shown) so that they can be rotated, but will remain stationary when they are once set in position. On the arbor 8 is mounted a gear wheel 10, while on the arbor 9 is mounted a gear wheel of similar size. These gears are both in mesh with a smaller gear 12, which is mounted on the sleeve 13 of the hour hand 14:. The gear 12 revolves, therefore, twice during every twelve hours, while the gear wheels 10 and 11 revolve once every twenty-four hours. Secured to the arbor 8 is a contact arm 15 arranged to engage the projections 16 of the star wheel 17. The latter is mounted to turn on a shaft 18, which is carried by the wheel 10. This star wheel is normally pressed upon by a spring 19, secured to the wheel on one side, and is in electrical con tact with a spring 20 on the other side, which is carried by a conducting screw 21 disposed in an opening 22 carried by an insulating piece 23, secured to the back of the wheel 10, as shown in Fig. 5. The rear portion of this wheel 10 is provided with a conducting ring 24, which is insulated from the wheel 10 by means of suitable insulation 25, but which has a conducting portion 26 in electrical contact with the end of the conducting screw 21. Secured to the movement plate, but insulated therefrom, is a V-shaped spring, one of whose arms 27 bears upon the ring 24. This V-shaped spring 27 is connected by means of a wire 28 to one coil of the magnet. The other coil is connected by the conductor 29 to one side of the battery, while the other side of the battery is connected to the switch S by the conductor 30. The opposite pole of the switch S is connected directly with the frame by means of the conductor 30.

e will consider now the mechanism which operates the knife switch. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that I have secured to the plate 1 an arm 31, while to the plate 2 is secured a similar arm 32. Between these two arms (see Fig. 3) is journaled a shaft 3%. Upon this shaft is a gear wheel 35, which is in mesh with the large driving gear 36, which is actuated by the main spring 37. On the shaft 3 1 is also a gear 38, which is in mesh with a larger gear 39 secured on a stationary shaft 40, carried by movement plate 2. The gear 39 has pivotally connected with it a connecting rod 11, whose end is pivotally connected with a handle a2 of the knife switch -13. This handle projects through an opening in the easing at of the clock. On the opposite side of the casing is secured the battery Band the switch S above mentioned.

The arbor 8 extends through the face 45 of the clock. On the face, I arrange a dial 416, having a pointer 47, which can be set at any of the figures on the dial, and which will, therefore, turn the arbor 8 and the arm 15 as the pointer is moved.

From the foregoing description of the va rious parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood.

Let us suppose that the knife switch is to be closed, at say seven oclock p. m. The pointer 17 is turned around to the figure 7, opposite the shaded portion in Fig. 1. The arm 15 is, therefore, set in position so that the revolution of the wheel 10 will cause the star to engage the arm precisely at seven oclock. A current is now established as follows, the switch S having been previously closed: from battery through 30, S, 30-, frame of the machine, star wheel 17, spring 20, post 21, conductor 26 (see Fig. 5), ring 24, spring arm 27, conductor 28, magnet M, conductor 29, back to the other side of the battery. This will energize the magnet M, which will pull up its armature, thereby pulling up the oscillating arm at, and permitting the wheel 3 to revolve under the influence of the spring 37. The wheel 36 will also revolve and will drive the gear 39 (see I Fig. fit) through the medium of the gear 35, the shaft 31, and the gear 38. The wheel 39 makes one half a revolution, while the wheel 3 makes one revolution. The revolu tion of the wheel 39 will cause the retraction of the arm 4:1, and, hence, the closing of the switch. The length of the arm 4-1 is so adjusted that after one revolution of the wheel 3, the switch has just been brought into its closed position. \Vhen the wheel 3 has revolved one revolution, it is again stopped by the arm 4. The circuit through the magnet M is a momentary one, because it is obvious that this circuit cannot be closed when the wheel 36 is brought back to its initial position after one revolution, because if it is the magnet will still be energized and the arm 4- will be lifted free of the wheel 36, thereby permitting it to again revolve and resulting in opening the switch when it was designed to be closed. The momentary contact is effected by means of springs 19 and 20. The former is pressed aside before the contact occurs, by one of the points of the star. Then the point gets past the curve in the end of the spring 19, the wheel is given a sudden turn past the end of the spring 20, and this effects a momentary contact. It is obvious that the circuit controlled by the knife switch 13 would continue closed for twenty-four hours unless broken manually, or until the arm 15 can come into contact with the star wheel. In order to provide for the opening of the knife switch at any predetermined time, after it has been once closed, I arrange the second wheel 11. This, as stated, rotates on the arbor 9. The wheel 11 is of insulating material. It also bears a conducting ring 18, upon which an arm 27 of the V-shapcd spring bears. This conducting ring is electrically connected with a post 19, which passes through the wheel and is provided with a spring 50, which bears against a post 60. The arbor 9 bears an arm 61, which has pivoted to it a spring arm 62. This spring arm extends far enough to be engaged by the post 60, but will rotate on its pivot 63, so as to pass by the post 60, in the manner hereinafter explained. On the face of the clock is a second dial, which is precisely similar to the first one. The arm 47 of the second dial may be set at any time, thereby turning the arms 61 and 62. Now, as the wheel 11 rotates the post is brought into engagement with the spring arm 62. The latter turns on its pivot, and when it is released by passing the post 60, springs forward, and its outer end engages momentarily the spring 50, thereby establishing an electric connection as follows: battery, conductor 30, switch S, 30, arbor 9, arms 61 and 62, spring 50, post 19, ring 48, arm 27, and thence by the path already traced through the magnet and back to the battery.

The magnet will thus become energized and will momentarily draw up the armature m, when the train of gears already described will be set in motion by means of the spring 37. The rotation of the gear 39, whose time of revolution is twice that of the gear 3, now causes the rod 41 to move outwardly, thereby opening the knife switch.

It will readily be seen that I might use either of the forms of contact wheels 10 or 11, as means for closing the magnet circuit at the proper time, or both, as shown in the drawing.

With the above described device one may be sure of the absolute closing of the switch 43 and the opening thereof, at times indicated by the pointers 4:7 and 47, respectively. The opening of the switch S, of course, would throw the starting circuits out of operation, when the device might be used as an ordinary clock.

I claim:

1. The combination with a clock, of a magnet secured to the front movement plate, a gear on the hour hand spindle, a contact wheel in mesh'with said gear, said contact wheel being provided with a contact on one side thereof, an arbor for said contact wheel, a contact arm disposed on said arbor and adapted to be engaged momentarily by said contact for closing a circuit, electrical connections between one of said contact members and said magnet, a source of current, connections between the opposite side of said magnet and said source of current, and electrical connections between one of said contact members and said source of current.

2. The combination with a clock, of a magnet secured to the front movement plate, a gear on the hour hand spindle, a contact wheel in mesh withsaid gear, said contact wheel being provided with a contact on one side thereof, said contact wheel being arranged to be turned once for every two revolutions of the first mentioned gear, a source of current, an arbor for said contact wheel, said arbor being secured to the movement plate, a spring arm carried by said arbor adapted to momentarily engage said contact, electrical connections between one of said contact members and said magnet, a dial on the face of said clock, and a pointer on said dial for turning the spring arm to any desired posltion.

3. The combination with the driving mechanism of a clock, of a striking control wheel having a single peripheral slot, an oscillating stop member therefor having a portion adapted to enter said slot, a magnet for operating said stop member to release the striking control wheel, a gear on the hour hand spindle, a second gear in mesh with said first named gear, said second named gear being provided with a contact on one side thereof, a spring contact arm arranged to momentarily engage said contact, a source of current, circuit connections between said source of current, said magnet, said spring arm and said contact, an electric switch, and means operated by the clock mechanism for opening or closing said switch.

4c. The combination with the driving mechanism of a clock, of a striking control wheel having a single peripheral slot, an oscillating stop member therefor having a portion adapted to enter said slot, a magnet for operating said stop member to release the striking control wheel, a gear on the hour hand spindle, a second gear in mesh with said first named gear, said second named gear being provided with a contact on one side thereof, a spring contact arm arranged to momentarily engage said contact, a source of current, circuit connections between said source of current, said magnet, said spring arm and said contact, an electric switch, means operated by the clock mechanism for opening or closing said switch, said means comprising a train of gears, and a rod pivotally connected with one of said gears at one end and having a pivotal connection with the switch at the other end.

CARL J. LINDEl VALD. Witnesses:

NOAH E. RowLEY, BERTI-IA BUSEHART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

